Trap for recovering gold-waste jewelers&#39; washings.



No. 628,922. Patented July I8, |899. D.,I. BYEFIS.V

TRAP F08 BECOVEBING GOLD WASTE FROM JEWELERS WASHINGS.

(Application led Jan. 24, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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Nrrnl STAf'rnsv DAVID IVAN Bruns, or HAR'rvVnLL, ofi-rio.'

TRAP FORRECOVERING GOLD-WASTE FROM JEWELERS WASHINGS,

SPECIFICATION formngpart of Letters Patent No. 628,922, dated July 18, 1899. Application iled January 24, 1898. Serial No. 661704. (No inoclel.)

.To all whom, t 'lita/y concern,.-

Be it known that l, DAVID IVAN Bruns, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident for Recovering Gold-Taste from Jewelers Washings; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, attention bein gcalled to the accompanying drawings, with the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device to be used in connection with what is commonly known as a jeWelers hand-wash and as found in 1nanufacturing-jewelers establishments. Such hand-wash consists, substantially, of a sink provided with a Water-supply above it and is used for washing off or cleaning jewelry Whenever necessary While andafter passing through the various steps of manufacture, as polishing and otherwise, itserving also as a Washbasin for lavatory purposes. It is evident that the used Water discharged from such Y a sink carries With it more or less metallic i purpose.

Waste in minute particles coming from the articles cleaned orfrom the hands of the artisans in washing, which Waste, especially in larger establishments, amounts to considerable quantities. When consisting of gold, which is mainly had in View here, this waste is of considerable value and sufficientlyV so to warranteftorts toward savngit,which fact has caused various attempts to be made for such The means devised have, however, proven in most` cases rather` insufficient not only in thorough effectiveness toward obtaining all the Waste, but also as to the ,manner of their operation and convenient use.

The object of my invention is therefore to provide a practically-constructed apparatus which is not only complete for the purpose of retaining substantially all the waste, but which is also convenient inY its operation and use. 4

In the following specification, and particularly pointed out in the claims, is found a full description of the invention, its operation,

manner of use, parts, and construction, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in `wl1icli-- y Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of thede` vice complete, and Fig. 2 a top View of the same With the sink removed.

The device in its operation relies, substantially, on arresting the gold-waste 'carried off with the used Waterby subsiding and settling as to the heavier particles and by straining as to the lighter and iioating ones, care being taken that the continually-adding waste Water may readily drain off after leaving its de posit Without disturbing the previously-precipitated sediment. s

In the drawings, 5 indicates a sink of customary construction, Water, preferably running, being supplied from faucets This sink is required for all purposes Where Water is used in connection with jewelry during its manufacture or for Washing purposes by the employees. with yit whatever waste' there may have been,

vdischarges through a pipe 7 into a settlingvatS, the outlet from which is at 9. To prevent the water from passing at once from pipe 7 to the outlet 9, its direct discharge is impeded to give it time to precipitate the Waste The Water after used, carrying carried with it. For such purpose the vat is v vertically divided into a number of compartments by partitions 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, of which ll, 13, and 15 start from the top down and l2 and let from the bottom upwardly, neither extending, however, through the'entire height-of the vat. In this Way thewater is compelled to alternately descend and rise While passing successively through the various compartments and around the free ends of the partitions throughout the length of the vat, so that before reaching the outlet its presence in the boX has been lengthened to such an extent as to provide sufficient time for the metallic waste to separate therefrom. Since most of the particles of Waste, particularly the heavier ones, subside at once, most of the deposit will `be found in the first tWo compartmentsthat is, between the end 16 of the vat and partition 12for which reason the space between the lower end of partition 11 and the bottom of the vat is left higher. Lighter particles not sinking at once settle at the other side of partition 12.

'In practice I have found the common excel-4 ofpartiti'on 12.

ter without becoming clogged up and which is also most suitable when the whole is later` lon submitted to the refining process for the purpose of 'extracting vthe gold-waste. It is also necessary to use a material which presents a rough and uneven surface, since any othersurface, if straight and regular, even if perforated-*like wi re-cloth,forinstance-will soon be covered and closed by the slime caused by the fsoap which the water carries lwith it.

sior most suitable forall these purposes. It istightlystnffed from above into the space between partitions 13 and 15, resting on the upper edge of partition '14. It becomes still tighter fwhen the wood vfiber, after becoming wet and water-soaked, commences to swell,

so that the passage of any loatingwaste vis effe'ctually prevented. At thesame time, being readily destroyed by fire', it does not offer any difficulties when being passed through the refining process for thevpurpose of recovering lthe 'gold-waste.

To prevent disturbance of the sediment by the `entering waste water, a horizontal shelf -1'8 is ,provided below the discharge-*opening `of ip'ipe 7, which breaksthe force of `the water and prevents vformation of a direct current. rPhe last compartmente-that is, the one between partition 15and the end 19 ofthe vatdoes'not serve any'particular purpose, except to permit observation to ascertain the condition Iof the water passing out.

lromztimeto time, as circumstances may re- :quire it, perhaps every three months, the sediment,'as well as the excelsior forming strainer i17,7i's removed and placed withthe other waste and `sweepings ready for refining. For such purpose the sink is lifted off, the sediment on the floor oft-'he vat removed, land the excelsior pulled out from above and replaced by a new bundle.

To `facilitate removal of the sediment, the first four com partments*that is, those between'end 1'6 and partition 14-are all thrown 'into one at the bottom of the vat by removal To permit the removal of the latter `in a quick and convenient way and'also its replacing in a manner `to render it water- "tight, I have this partition in two parts, their lcombined dimensions Aacross the vat being somewhat in excess ofthe width of the latter. Their outer edges are placed against strips 2l, secured to the sides of the vat, after which a brace 22 of proper length is wedged in between partitions 11 and l2, resting against the latter at a pointwhere it can holdthe two partsof it. Notches 23 are provided, within which the brace comes to a'seat. Since acid is used in connection with the working of gold, of which more or less iinally finds its way with the waste water into the vat, the

latter should be constructed in a manner andk of a material which dispenses with the use of metal, like iron, at `places where `it'comes in contact with the water. Fig. 2 suggests a suitable plan by the use of tie-rods 24, which connect the long sides of the vat, with the cross-partitions clamped between 'and Apassed `through the ends of Vsuch sides beyond vthe confines ofthe vat, so as to be removed from any contact with the Water.

All parts of thevat are preferably wood. While in the drawings the location ofthe vat is shown to be underneath thesin'k, such need not necessarily be the case at all times and may V,depend altogether on conditions of location and convenience. lItshouldbe'between sink and 'the final outlet'of the waste water.

It the excelsior strainer is found to :be not sufficiently tight, its e'iiciency may 'be 'increased by dividing it into two layers, with an additional layer ofasnitable substance, like slaked lime or sawdust, interposedbetween. g l

`Having described *myinventiom `I 'claim as newl. The combination'with the d-rain-pipe from a jewelers wash-sink, of `a'v'at S, vertical pai'-,

titions l1, l2, 13, v1li and 15`by which it is divided into Aa number of compartments, the' partitions terminating alternately above the bottom and belowthe top of the vat, thereby permitting passage 'from one compartment into :the other, the 'final discharge being'from near the top of thecompartment between. partition 15 and the adjacent end of the vat, partition 12`beingin two parts, the combined width of which exceeds thewidth ofthe vat, strips '2l against which the parts of'th-is partition rest and a brace 22 which on being wedged 'in between 'them `and vpartition 'll holds them in position.

2. A strainer for recovering gold-waste from a jewelers hand wash-sink, consisting of a body of eXc'elsior, so placed land supported as to cause the drainage from the sink 'mentioned 'to pass vthrough it.

Intestimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature vin presence of two witnesses.

.DAVID 'IVAN BY'ERS. Vitnesses:

C. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE.

IIO 

